Aimee Said blogs about books, writing, food, craftiness and general grumbles.

July 26, 2010

E-books: not so scary after all

You know how something suddenly comes under your radar and then you begin to notice it everywhere you look? That's been me and ebooks over the last week.

It started when Mr Fantapants and I were wasting time in Borders as an alternative to being unfashionably early getting to a friend's place for dinner. At the front of the store was a desk, set up with stations where you could download ebooks to your reader. There weren't any customers at the desk, but it was there. Waiting. Ready.

Then, Nathan Bransford posted the Top 10 myths about our ebook future, and (as always) he made so much sense that it really got me thinking about how ebooks aren't the scary-thing-that's-going-to-take-over-from-my-favourite-bookstore, they're just another way of spreading the reading love.

THEN, I read Seth Godin's take on why the paperless publishing future is better for both consumers and prducers (if only producers would stop being so scared), not to mention the environment.

AND FINALLY, a good friend came to stay and brought her e-reader with her. It was about the size of a B-format paperback (the medium size paperback), it weighed about as much as an average novel, the screen was clear and crisp (even to my rubbish eyesight). And she had 78 books to choose from, depending on her mood.

2 comments:

I definitely agree - that they will never replace books, but just offer another method of reading (I'm looking forward to having one on the train, insteady of trying to lug around three paperbacks in my handbag haha)

SAME ! I have ipad envy...I'm reading Bill Bryson's latest book at the moment and well it's a bit heavy for my little diddems wrists when I'm reading in bed. I keep thinking about how easy it would be to curl up with an ipad. Am I just lazy? PS in melbs next week for the art fair wanna have a coffee???

About me

I live with Mr Fantapants and Little Ms Marmalade. I have been known to consume an entire cheese platter by myself. I am an animal nerd - a trip to the zoo sends me into the animal lover's equivalent of a diabetic coma.
Email me: aimeeDOTsaidATgmailDOTcom